Friday letters to the editor

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, January 23, 2003

Growth package works

To the editor:

The presidents growth package works for 3,235,000 Michigan taxpayers. President Bush announced a growth and jobs plan to strengthen the American economy, and called on Congress to act swiftly to pass it. The Presidents jobs and growth package will provide $98 billion of total tax relief over the next 16 months and $670 billion over the next decade. The facts below speak for themselves:

 3,235,000 taxpayers in Michigan will have lower income tax bills in 2003 under the presidents growth package.

 835,000 business taxpayers can use their tax savings to invest in new equipment, hire additional workers, and increase pay.

 2,533,000 married couples and single filers will benefit from the acceleration to 2003 of the expansion of the 10 percent bracket scheduled for 2008.

 1,050,000 taxpayers in Michigan will benefit from the acceleration to 2003 of the reductions in income tax rates in excess of 15 percent scheduled for 2004 and 2006.

 1,311,000 married couples in Michigan will benefit from the acceleration to 2003 of provisions that increase the standard deduction for joint filers to double the amount for single filers and increase the width of the 15-percent bracket to twice the width for single filers. These two provisions were scheduled to phase in between 2005 and 2009.

 902,000 married couples and single parents in Michigan will benefit from the acceleration to 2003 of the increase in the child tax credit from $600 to $1,000 that was scheduled to phase in between 2005 and 2010.

 1,190,000 taxpayers in Michigan will benefit from the exclusion of dividends paid from previously-taxed corporate income.

JOE SYLVESTER

Midland

Midland should react to complaints on cemetery care

To the editor:

Subject: Complaints about the City of Midland Cemetery Care.

I would suggest that some reactionary measures to complaints made by survivors tending to graves be incorporated into the job of someone working at the City Cemetery.

I have stopped at the office three or four times, asking for fill to be added to sunken graves. I placed two grave blankets on graves and received a very distressful call from a survivor asking if I had placed the blankets, as they had been removed. I made several stops and long distance phone calls on this matter.

I was told by the cemetery office that they had been taken off to remove leaves and they had not been identified by the help when they were removed. Why wasnt there some care put into this exercise for proper replacing? I explained what they looked like, and was told they would be located and returned to the proper spots. I thought it was taken care of.

The proper blankets were never located, and the fill was never attended to.

PAUL M. WOODS JR.

Roscommon

Tell me what protesters say

To the editor:

I read, with interest, the MDN coverage of the local, national and international protest marches that took place on Jan. 18, 2003. I am troubled by the coverage. The journalistic emphasis seems to be on the "theater" of the event rather than the substance. I searched, in vain, for evidence of cogent, thoughtful and actionable alternatives to the administrations approach to the challenging situation in Iraq. I didnt find them. I strongly suspect that many well qualified, committed people expressed opinions and presented alternative approaches during these marches and the associated speeches. Unfortunately, these remarks were summarized in the articles by quoting the slogans painted on placards carried by the protesters. This, unfortunately, doesn't do justice to the intellectual momentum behind the demonstrations.

I strongly support the administrations position on Iraq and would cite President Bushs speech to the UN on Sept. 12, 2002, as basis of my support. Im willing to listen to other views and alternatives. Help me understand them! I want to know what the protesters see as the way forward.